Sunday Lifestyles

Donations keep Centaur Stride’s mission possible

When everyone assumes somebody else will take responsibility, sometimes nobody does.

There is an anonymous saying that captures this tendency to pass responsibility along: "This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to do, and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because it was Everybody's job."

I have thought about those four people many times over the years. Lately, I have been thinking about them a lot.

When I visited my mother, I often helped her clean her house. One day, while clearing off her desk, I found three opened letters requesting donations. On each one, she had carefully recorded the check number, date, and amount she had contributed. Two were for monthly donations.

I asked her why she sent $30 every month to Save the Children. She explained that her contribution helped feed a child.

I responded with a familiar concern about how much charitable organizations spend on advertising and salaries. Her answer stopped me in my tracks.

"Then I fed that child for a day!" she said.

She understood something I needed to be reminded of: You don’t have to solve an entire problem to make a difference.

Then I asked her, "Why don't you donate to Centaur Stride?"

"I didn't think you needed it!" she replied.

I was stunned.

I work incredibly hard to raise the funds needed to keep Centaur Stride going. Many generous people help us, and I am deeply grateful for every one of them. But my mother was right about one thing: I had never directly asked her to contribute.

She assumed we were doing fine. And unless I asked her regularly, she continued to believe we were fine.

That conversation was a wake-up call. People cannot always recognize a need if we don’t tell them about it. Even people who care about us may not realize how much help we need.

And so, here I am, doing something I despise – the ask.

I would much rather spend my time doing the work, supporting families, caring for our horses, and sharing the remarkable benefits of the services we provide. I wish people could see what we do and instinctively understand what it takes to keep it going.

But good intentions don’t pay the bills. Caring about a mission doesn’t automatically translate into a donation, a volunteer commitment, or a much-needed supply.

Here is the reality: Centaur Stride must fundraise because the actual cost of providing our services exceeds what we can reasonably charge the families we serve. We could raise our fees to cover the full cost, but then many of the families who need us most could no longer afford to participate.

That would defeat our mission. Families of children with disabilities already face many challenges, and access to our services should not depend on being privileged enough to afford the full cost.

So, we fundraise. And we need our community’s help to do it.

For the past 22 months, I have submitted articles to this newspaper to raise awareness, reach more people, and encourage financial and volunteer support. Thank you to the people who have responded with action. Every donation, every volunteer hour, and every useful item makes a difference.

But we need more help.

Centaur Stride needs your support to get through the winter.

We are working hard on strategic planning, community outreach, and new pilot programs for next year. Our goal is to reach more people, strengthen our programs, and move closer to long-term sustainability. We are looking ahead and working toward solutions, but we still have immediate expenses to meet.

We have no paid executive director and no advertising budget. Every penny we receive goes toward operating expenses. And horses are expensive. They need feed, veterinary care, farrier services, facilities, and daily attention, regardless of how much money is (or isn't) available.

Yet the value they bring to the people we serve is immeasurable. Through our programs, horses help create opportunities for health, wellness, confidence, connection, and growth. I write about those benefits often because I see their impact firsthand.

But those benefits can continue only if we have the resources to sustain them.

So, what can you do?

Donate what you can. No contribution is too small to matter.

Give useful items. Supplies and other needed items can help us stretch our limited resources. Check website for wishlist.

Volunteer your time. Your willingness to lend a hand can make a real difference.

Spread the word. Tell your friends, family, neighbors, and local businesses about Centaur Stride. Someone you know may be able to help.

You don’t have to solve the entire problem. You don’t have to make the largest donation. You simply have to decide that you can do something.

My mother understood that. She couldn’t feed every hungry child, but she could help feed one. She gave what she could because she believed that her contribution mattered.

Ours is a community resource worth protecting.

Centaur Stride is a gem in our own back yard. The services and opportunities it provides would be enormously expensive to replace. And because programs like ours cannot realistically cover their full costs through service fees alone, if Centaur Stride were lost, there is no guarantee it could ever be recreated.

Please don’t assume we’re doing fine simply because we’re still here. We are still here because people work hard, care deeply, and keep finding ways to make it happen. But dedication alone cannot sustain us.

Remember Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody?

Please don’t assume Somebody else will help. Be the Somebody who does.

Donate what you can. Volunteer if you are able. Share our story. Help us get through the winter and build a stronger future for the people and horses who make this mission possible.

I despise asking. But I care too much about Centaur Stride and the people we serve to remain silent about what we need.

Surely somebody cares.

I hope that somebody is you. Checks (so we get the full amount without fees) can be sent to Centaur Stride, PO Box 174, Westfield, NY 14787. If easier, we have a Venmo and PayPal account for Centaur Stride. Look under charities/Centaur Stride.

Claudia Monroe is president and founder of Centaur Stride.